Tunmer Tennis Racket - British Sporting Advertisement, 1920s

In the 1920s, tennis was transformed. What had begun as a polite Victorian garden party game had become one of the most glamorous and passionately followed sports in the world. At the center of this revolution was Suzanne Lenglen, the French superstar who electrified Wimbledon with her athletic brilliance, her daring short skirts, and her theatrical personality. On the men’s side, the American Bill Tilden dominated with a power and charisma that made him one of the first true sporting celebrities. Together they turned tennis into a spectacle — and a fashion.

The sport’s explosion in popularity created a booming market for equipment, and racket makers competed fiercely for the attention of a newly passionate public. Tunmer, a British racket maker, was among those who invested in bold, modern advertising to reach this growing audience — players who wanted not just a racket, but the right racket, the one that champions used. The Tunmer racket was their signature product, and this striking poster was designed to make it feel aspirational, sporty, and thoroughly up-to-date.

A wonderful piece of British interwar sporting history — capturing the energy and elegance of tennis in its first golden age, when the sport conquered the world.

Giclee reproductions on luster premium photo paper.